Biotechnology Law

Alan J. Morrison is a lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia University. He practices biotechnology law in New York City.

• PrefaceIntroductionSection I: Patent Law1. The Patent as a Negative Right and the Claim as Its Business End2. Construing the Patent Claim3. The Patentable Invention4. The Patent Document’s Role in Supporting a Claimed Invention5. The Long Road to Getting a Patent6. Lengthening and Shortening a Patent’s Term7. Continuing-Application Practice and the Making of a Patent Family8. The Murky World of Inventorship9. Patent Infringement and Its Variations10. Defenses and Preemptive Challenges11. Patent Opinions12. The Patent Portfolio13. The Interplay Between Trade Secrets and PatentsSection II: Regulatory Law14. The Innovator Drug: From Development to Approval15. Generic Drugs16. BiosimilarsSection III: Contract Law17. The Contract: An Enforceable Promise18. Biotechnology AgreementsAcknowledgmentsFurther ReadingGlossary of Legal Acronyms and AbbreviationsIndex

Brilliant inventors often create incredible products but struggle at the complex legal processes involved. In this educational read, patent lawyer Alan Morrison takes the reader through three main legal concepts encountered by every inventor: patent law, regulatory law, and contract law. The clear and succinct way Morrison describes these legal processes makes his book essential for every inventor, biotech company, and technology commercialization office, not only to understand the process but also to avoid making common costly mistakes.